Be Inspired By The Unexpected In These 11 Whimsical Spaces

Why choose staid, uninspiring décor when you can infuse a room with that special something by making quirky, off-the-beaten-path design choices? Take a look at these fun and funky projects where eleven inspired designers did just that.

NEW YORK, NY
Designer: Jessica Iwaniec, Pembrooke & Ives
Photographer: Genevieve Garruppo
This Upper East Side apartment was transformed from a very traditional Park Avenue home to a vibrant, eclectic space filled with art. The clients wanted a home that felt unique, whimsical and comfortable for their family and their lifestyle. The view from the dining room window looked out at a back courtyard, so Iwaniec chose custom fabrics for drapery and vintage sconces for either side of the window to distract from the view. A mural by artist Peter Lane sets the stage for the entire room, and an installation of sculptural custom lights hangs over the table at varying heights.
You Do You: “I love bringing in vintage pieces: furniture, lighting, accessories, textiles or artwork. Their age and history build a story that is more unique than a grouping of contemporary items.” -Iwaniec

NEW YORK, NY
Designer: Francis Nicdao, Pembrooke & Ives
Photographer: Genevieve Garruppo
The client wanted this room to make a statement in a way that was both unique and had an artist’s touch, so designer Francis Nicdao commissioned Misha Kahn to create a custom headboard that elongates the narrow space by filling the entire length of the wall. To further maximize the scale, they integrated the bedside lights rather than break up the design into smaller parts. The client’s love for color and form is expressed in every space in the apartment, each with a unique style.
You Do You: “A ceiling light fixture always adds a great finishing touch to a room, whether as a stand-out statement piece or as a feature that ties all the elements of a room together.” -Nicdao

WARSAW, POLAND
Designer: Piotr Płoski, smallna
Photographer: Celestyna Król
For this apartment in Warsaw, designer Piotr Płoski relied on a mix of vintage and antique furniture, and an oversize artwork custom-made for the space. The original wood flooring was refinished in a dark shade and is offset by the plaster walls, hand-finished in gray stain and varnished to give an aged look. To change the mood when darkness falls, Płoski added vintage light fixtures ranging from space age to industrial, train lights and medical task lighting.
You Do You: “I love pure vintage furniture, originals from my smallna gallery that I’ve run for the last 15 years: Mart Stam from the ’30s; Sedus wooden office chair from the ’40s; Polish vinyl seating from the ’50s; Friso Kraner’s amazing midcentury school chair, which is a really sophisticated design but inconspicuous.” -Płoski

NEW YORK, NY
Designer: John Ike, Louis Lin, Molly Denor, of Ike Baker Velten
Photographer: Richard Powers with Anita Sarsidi
For a repeat client who wanted to downsize, the designers of Ike Baker Velten were given marching orders: “Have fun!” The scope of the project was a gut renovation plus new furniture and décor. In the bedroom, the starting point for the room was the sculptural headboard covered in fabric by Carolyn Ray, which they describe as “tagging” the wall, just as graffiti artists “tagged” subway cars in the 1970s.
You Do You: “It’s really the mix of elements, the funky throw, the crazy headboard, the bold pendant lights, and the graphic bedside tables. These are the elements that ‘shake up’ the room.”

DALLAS, TX
Designer: Dennis Brackeen
Photographer: Pär Bengtsson
The first thing Dennis Brackeen selected for the “Menagerie Chinoise” morning room in the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse was Jim Thompson’s Palampore wallpaper and fabric. The designer wanted a pattern that would bring the outdoors into the space, and the wonderfully saturated citron color is like sunshine within the room. The Lalique Cactus table inspired the entire room. Brackeen uses color and layering to “rev up” a room, and in this space, he used a custom, three-dimensional medallion by MJ Atelier in Los Angeles, on top of Schumacher’s Palladio Trellis wallpaper.
You Do You: “I have a ‘goatsha’ which is a mannequin with a taxidermy goat head dressed in full Asian regalia….think in the manner of Daniel Lismore. I also have a life-size vintage football player mannequin completely clad in 18th- & 19th-century textiles by artist Mary Lou Marks whose company is named Southern Beasts.” -Brackeen

AUSTIN, TX
Architect: Ryan Street Architects
Interior Design: Fern Santini
Photographer: Cate Black
In Austin, Texas architect Ryan Street was commissioned to create a treehouse for a client’s kids, which started life as a sketch done by the kids themselves. Street used the DARIO Panelized System by the Escobedo Group to create a sustainable structure with minimal disruption to the surrounding area. The treehouse, connected to the main house by a concrete bridge, is a mirrored glass structure suspended 12 feet in the air. It morphed from a kid’s playroom to an art project that everyone enjoys. With views of Lake Austin and a casual, hip art-filled interior by designer Fern Santini, it has become a destination for everyone who visits.
You Do You: “Our goal was to make it casual, chic, and hip. A little Peter Pan and a lot of adult playhouses, there are details that were taken from my childhood memories…the woven jute railing wall on the staircase is a nod to the hanging rope ladder on my childhood treehouse. But my childhood treehouse didn’t have a spectacular Kyle Bunting rug in it, an incredible bulldog plaster sconce, or that fabulous bath!” –Santini

PALM DESERT, CA
Designer: Chris Barrett, Chris Barrett Design
Photographer: Karyn Millet
A foyer in Chris Barrett’s own home is centered by a textural canvas sculpture by Mary Little purchased specifically for this space. She offset the dramatic work on a background of Benjamin Moore’s Artichoke 2141-10 in a matte finish, adding a moody touch. A collection of 19th-century, Chinese, carved and painted puppet heads from the estate of a friend sit on a midcentury bench. The designer stripped the existing tile from the floors and exposed the concrete, lending an industrial air to the space.
You Do You: “Lighting is always the key to shaking up the vibe. I try to find vintage and unusual fixtures. I chose to place the puppet heads in the foyer to introduce guests to a bit of humor. I think it’s important not to take yourself too seriously!” -Barrett

WALLA WALLA, WA
Designer: Kathleen Glossa, Swivel Interiors
Photographer: Andrew Giammarco
Returning clients asked Swivel Interiors to create the interiors for their almost 2000-square-foot lower-floor renovation in their historic home in Walla Walla. They wanted to dedicate the entire area to entertaining, as they often host friends visiting this popular wine-country destination in Washington State, and asked for something unexpected that was reflective of their adventurous personalities. The designer settled on a theme inspired by couture runway fashion. For this shared bath, they created a colorful chevron pattern out of tile that mimics one of the client’s favorite ties.
You Do You: “I now have a small but growing collection of artworks with a focus on the human eye. These include a painting by artist Squire Broel and another by Alexandra Nechita along with a few ‘eye’ objects of curiosity curated over the years of decorating homes.” -Glossa

WASHINGTON, DC
Designer: Annie Elliott, Annie Elliott Design
Photographer: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Annie Elliott’s client first purchased the lower unit of a renovated 1922 townhouse, and then the upper unit when it became available. The main entrance connects the two units. Elliott replaced the solid doors to each apartment with stained, paned glass doors and included vintage and modern items. The client is an avid art collector, and the home is a testament to how art can coexist wonderfully with colorful, patterned furnishings. Elliott had Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile wallpaper in mind for this client and was finally able to use it in this bright, cheerful space.
You Do You: “Somewhere along the way, I realized that I have at least one animal object in every room. It wasn’t intentional; they just seem to be the things I gravitate to when I’m roaming around vintage stores. I have a jade tiger in our living room (and a large brass gazelle head from the ’80s on our mantel, now that I think about it), a leather parrot in the dining room, a wooden bunny in the family room, a set of bird engravings in my office…they’re everywhere!” -Elliott

WINTER PARK, FL
Designer: Emily Williams, Z Properties
Photographer: Stephen Allen Photography
For her own home, Emily Williams of Z Properties pushed the boundaries and created a small home on a small lot, with lots of big interior spaces and abundant light. The designer incorporated her love of layering color and pattern within each room and brought that same playful attitude to the exterior with colorful awnings and a brightly-hued entry door.
You Do You: “I’d have to say some antique garden Foo Dogs we’ve incorporated into a current project – we found them in a garden in Palm Beach. For this same project, a terrazzo floor throughout the first level that’s unexpected, along with shag carpeting.”

MILAN, ITALY
Designer: Stefania Passera, NAP ATELIER
Photographer: Fabrizio Cicconi
For her own home and studio, Stefania Passera converted an industrial space into a modern yet warm interior. She created small, welcoming corners in the large open space by adding wallpaper, rugs and vintage pieces like the 19th-century boiserie frame that she found in the garbage of a nearby hotel that was being renovated.
You Do You: “My quirky and kitsch piece is my ceramic poodle dog, who has always been a lucky mascot. We are inseparable!”

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